Soulmate
by idancewithvamps
Summary: Bella has just escaped a nasty relationship and is having her first real night out with her friends.What will come of the evening w/ karaoke,a new gorgeous friend,and the ever hilarious best friends of Bella. Continued from a one-shot.AH/OOC/AU/T2BSAFE
1. Sing a Song

A/N: So I realized that when I heard the song: Soulmate by Natasha Bedingfield that it applied well to my own life. I saw that Bella and Edward would be prime characters to use to make a one-shot song-fiction. I've never been a huge song-fiction reader, but I liked the idea for this one. Please review!

**Soulmate**

I stared at my reflection with slight disgust. Why must they inflict so much pain on me? Did I really look _so_ bad that my best girlfriends, Alice and Rosalie, felt the need to torture me?

Okay, I admit it I've looked like crap lately. I jut got out of a nasty relationship. Jacob had cheated on me with some tramp named Emily. So, I was a little depressed to have _no one_ as Alice and Rose scampered off with their boyfriends Jasper and Emmett. I didn't even try in the mornings, usually settling for an old t-shirt and too-big jeans held up with a ratty brown belt. Alice had threatened to "burn the damn thing" but I stopped her by simply holding scissors to her massive wardrobe.

That same argument had led to me being shoved onto this stool at the vanity in Alice's suite-sized bedroom. Those damn Cullen's and their damn money.

Rosalie was plucking, waxing, curling, and doing God knows what else to my body. Meanwhile, Alice was finishing up my "smoky" make-up. I'll admit it was nice to have the bruise-like shadows beneath my eyes from sleepless nights covered with the magic of concealer.

I had to be the only twenty-three year old who almost _never_ wore make-up. This was simply because I didn't care.

"Done!" Alice an Rose exclaimed at the same time. They did it often and crept me out.

"Thanks," I mumbled, standing up. I honestly didn't see the point in this "Bella Barbie" charade if I was going to just watch movies with my best friends.

"Bella," they whined, exasperated.

See what I mean? Totally in sync. It just wasn't normal.

"What?" I snapped a bit harshly.

"Damn it, Bella!" Rosalie burst. I jumped. "Would you stop with the emo, pessimistic view of life?"

"Yeah," Alice interjected. "What happened to our fun-loving Bella?"

"She got a grip on reality!" I spat the answer in third person.

"When are you going to wake-up, Bells? You are my best friend and I can't _stand_ seeing you like this," Alice stated, nearly shouting.

"My life sucks. What do you want from me?" I said desperately, throwing my hands in the air.

"We want our best friend back. Our Bells with her tinkling laugh and lovely smile." Rosalie's statement brought tears to my eyes.

I missed that part of me, too.

"Come with us to a bar tonight, Bella." Alice's eyes pleaded with me.

I nodded weakly. I owed it to them.

So with all of us ready (oh so conveniently), we headed over to Em and Jazz's apartment. I hadn't seen them in a while. Perhaps it would be good for me. Jasper had this demeanor about him. He was just so charismatic. I always felt calmer around him. Not to mention Emmett's insane sense of humor.

As I sat in the back of Emmett's jeep, I fell into deep thought.

Ever since high school, Alice, Rose, and I had been the _best _of friends. With our friendship came their brothers. Rose and Jazz were twins. Both were twenty-four. Emmett and Alice were twenty-four and twenty-three. So, I was just barely the baby. (Alice's birthday was in July and mine was in September.)

But once Jazz and Ali started going out, followed very shortly by Rose and Em, I began feeling like not just a "third wheel" but a spare tire shoved in the trunk of a four-wheeled car.

Not dating much in high school had been kind of hand. But when I met Jacob at the age of twenty-one, I thought that none of that mattered because _he_ was the one for _me_. I loved him. Or…at least I _thought_ I did. Until he started sleeping around. After a year of fighting and his cheating, I fled. I gave up. There wasn't hope and love with him anymore just hurt and anger.

And now because of his selfishness, here I sit. The spare tire once more.

I sighed deeply as we pulled in front of a bar called ___. It looked promising. The idea of drowning myself in alcohol was becoming more appealing.

Emmett clapped a hand on my shoulder, making me wince in pain. "It's good to have you back, Belly!" He exclaimed happily. "After all, you're my only challenge for pool. Well, except Edward of course." He chuckled, shaking his head.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Rose shoot him a murderous glare. Even _I_ shivered.

"Edward?" I asked, truly perplexed.

"A friend of mine from college. It's been over a year, and he was in town so I invited him to tag along."

That was nice of Emmett, I thought. Maybe I'd have someone to talk to after all, I thought. I could feel the familiarity of optimism seeping through me. It felt good.

We entered the bar which had a pretty good sized crowd. Tables all around were placed so the occupants could see the stage where a karaoke night seemed to be in full swing.

As we made our way into the pit area in front of the stage, I saw Emmett waving. I followed the direction of his gaze and found myself staring, without the possibility of looking away, at a Greek god.

The man that stood before me was tall and quite muscular. His long-sleeved black shirt clung to his body showing each and every detail of his chiseled torso.

I felt faint. Is this what it feels like to swoon? I asked myself. Certainly, nothing of this sort had ever happened with Jacob.

The next thing my eyes zeroed in on was his face. The pale skin like mine, the piercing emerald green eyes; a shade I had never before seen.

Bronze colored hair fell into his eyes as his body shook with laughter at Emmett's excitement. And that smile. Oh God, that _glorious_ smile. Crooked to perfection and dazzling beyond belief.

I heard Alice giggle and she poked my side. It was then that I realized my mouth had been slightly agape. I silently thanked the Heavens above that I wasn't drooling.

Flushing red, I walked forward and sat at the table, staring at my hands. Rose and Alice were whispering fiercely to each other as they took their seats on either side of me.

"--created a monster! Look at his face!" Rose said in awe.

"He won't look away," Alice added. Their heads were behind my back. I rolled my eyes. Surely they knew I could hear them. Not that I knew what they were talking about anyway.

"Alright," Emmett began clapping his hands together once, loudly. "This is Edward."

I glanced up and what did I find?

Two emerald eyes seeing through me as if I was transparent. I felt bare; as if all my emotions and secrets were laid out before me.

I averted my eyes to my lap, blushing for eighty-fourth time already.

"Edward," Emmett continued, "This is my sister, Alice and my beautiful girlfriend, Rosalie."

"I'm delighted to meet you both," came a very polite, velvety smooth and perfect voice. The sound made my heart want to either melt or combust. "And who is this?" He asked softly.

With one blush running into the next, I peered shyly out from under my eyelashes.

A breathtakingly sweet grin broke out on his face.

I brought my head up to smile at him tentatively. "Bella," I responded quietly.

He reached forward to shake my hand. But instead, he took my hand and kissed the back of it so softly it felt like feathers.

We all sat back down. All the men directly across from the ladies. Both Alice and Rose sat across from their boyfriends which left both Edward and me in between everyone and directly across from each other. Not that I minded.

I suddenly thanked the Lord above that Ali and Rose had dressed me up and done my make-up and hair.

I settled into everyone's conversations nicely, and easier than I expected. It almost felt like old times. I had half a beer and was done with the alcohol. Jacob had often gotten drunk and the substance didn't appeal to me much. As the night went on, I had a couple of casual conversations with Edward. I swear at one point I felt his foot brush against my leg, sending tingles or electric waves all the way up to my head.

A couple hours later, I desperately had to pee. I asked Alice and Rosalie to go with me. You never know. Bar + alcohol + men can equal trouble.

As soon as the bathroom door swung shut behind us, they nearly pounced on me.

"What?" I inquired, holding up my hands defensively.

"Oh _you_ know what!" Rose answered, turning giggly.

"No, I don't." I snapped slightly, feeling confused and overwhelmed by the intensity in their eyes.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Bella," she said, "We're not _blind_! Edward totally hasn't taken his eyes off of you all night!"

"He hasn't?" I asked dumbly. I honestly hadn't noticed.

"Oh, Bella! Snap out of your little world. Wake up and smell the roses. No pun intended…" She trailed off.

I grinned. The unintended joke actually was a little bit ironic and therefore funny.

"Edward's crazy about you! Can't you see it? Heck, I talked to him directly for five minutes and didn't even get a _pity_ glance!"

I blushed furiously. "You guys are crazy." I just shook my head and went on with what I came in here to do.

As I came out of the stall, Alice and Rosalie were grinning evilly.

I stopped dead in my tracks. "Uh-oh. I know those faces! What do you want?" I asked warily.

Rose stepped in. "We want to bet you Bella."

"I beg your pardon? _Bet_ me?" I asked with a laugh.

"Yes," Alice replied. "We bet you and Edward will kiss by the end of the night."

"What?" I questioned their sanity. "We just _met_! Why would we kiss? I don't even know him."

"That's why you _get_ to know him," Rosalie said as if it were the most obvious thing in the whole world.

"We'll bet you a shopping trip. If you win, you get one whole moth without shopping with me or Rose. If we win, we take you on a shopping spree weekend."

I narrowed my eyes. "You're on." This was just way too easy.

So we headed back to our table. After another thirty minutes of talking and getting to know Edward better, an announcer called from the stage, _my name?_ I froze. What? Why were they calling my name to do karaoke? I was a good singer, but I definitely didn't do crowds.

That's when I noticed my friends cracking up. I had gone deathly pale. And they were_ laughing_?

"What the hell, guys?" I snarled. I quickly noticed that Edward was the only one with a straight face. He was staring at me, concern coloring his face.

Huffing and puffing, I scraped my chair against the wood flooring as I got up to go endure the hell my so-called "friends" had inflicted upon me.

Before I could take more than a step, however, Edward had gotten up as well and placed a firm hand around my elbow.

"What?" I meant it to come out sarcastic, but it felt as though the wind was knocked out of me and it sounded like an exasperated sigh.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I tried to stop them, but you know Emmett…" he trailed off.

"Yes," I said nodding. "I do."

"You don't have to do this Bella." And suddenly he was just inches from my face, eyes smoldering. I could feel his warm breath graze my face, the smell becoming dominant and causing me to slowly lose my grasp on what was going on.

Before I could be dazzled any further, I pulled away and walked over to a man who said his name was Keith. I had to do this. I had something to prove. Not only to my friends, but to myself as well.

I picked the song I wanted. It was a personal song that went straight to my heart. Tears brimmed my eyes, but I quickly suppressed them. Save it for the stage, Swan.

I took the steps painfully slow, mentally preparing and chastising myself for what I was about to do.

When I sat on the stool and grabbed the mike, I heard my friends--my family--cheer for me.

I attempted to smile but it came out as more of a grimace.

As the guitar came in, I looked away from the prompter. I knew this song all too well. I didn't need to read the highlighted words.

_Incompatible, It don't matter though._

_Cause someone's bound to hear me cry._

_Speak out if you do._

_You're not easy to find._

_Is it possible Mr. Loveable_

_Is already in my life._

_Right in front of me._

_Or maybe you're in disguise._

I smirked slightly as I sang the last few lines of the verse. I took a steadying breath for the chorus.

_Who doesn't long for someone to hold,_

_Who knows how to love you, without being told._

_Somebody tell me why I'm on my own_

_If there's a Soulmate for everyone._

A lone tear made its way down my cheek as I sang the all too true words.

_Here we are again, circles never end._

_How do I find the perfect fit?_

_There's enough for everyone._

_But I'm still waiting in line._

I continued to sing full out, giving it my all. I conveyed every emotion through this song. As the next chorus came, I began to put my own spin on it, adding notes and miniature riffs. I made sure not to overdo it.

_Who doesn't long for someone to hold,_

_Who knows how to love you, without being told._

_Somebody tell me why I'm on my own_

_If there's a Soulmate for everyone._

_If there's a Soulmate for everyone._

Tears flowed freely now, but they surprisingly didn't affect my ability to keep singing. I looked right into Edward's eyes as I kept on singing.

_Most relationships seem so transitory._

_There all good but not the permanent one._

_Who doesn't long for someone to hold,_

_Who knows how to love you, without being told._

_Somebody tell me why I'm on my own_

_If there's a Soulmate for everyone._

_Who doesn't long for someone to hold,_

_Who knows how to love you, without being told._

_Somebody tell me why I'm on my own_

_If there's a Soulmate for everyone._

Placing the microphone on the stand, I hopped down off the stage. When I hit the ground, my clumsiness got the better of me. I tripped, unsteady on my feet, and braced myself for the impact of hardwood flooring and skin. It never came.

Instead, I feel into the strong arms of Edward Masen. Rather than just releasing me once I was upright, he held me. I embraced the comfort of his chest and curled into him.

He hugged me to him and rubbed soft, soothing circles across my back.

"I…" I sobbed. "I need to l-leave…" I made to walk away and stop embarrassing myself, but Edward surprised me yet again.

Holding me tighter, I heard as Edward whispered something to Emmett and Alice. Both of whom had worried expressions on their faces.

Before I could say a word, Edward scooped me up bridal style and headed out the door. I didn't protest, but rather I reveled in the close proximity.

I didn't know why I felt so intensely attracted to Edward. Sure, he was the most gorgeous man Alice, but what I felt was much more. Before the disaster on stage, I had been thoroughly enjoying his company. He had a sense of humor like Emmett, only much more sarcastic. He was very down-to-earth and was exactly the kind of man you'd "take home to mom and dad". He was perfection in every single way.

The effect he had on me was astounding. I knew that if he ever needed or wanted anything, I would oblige. It was like he was sent to me. And I would do_ anything_ to keep from losing him.

I suddenly noticed that we had arrived at his car. It was silver, shiny, and a Volvo. Setting me down on the passenger seat, he proceeded to walk around to the other side and back out of the parking lot.

"Where are we going?" I asked, genuinely curious. Normally it wouldn't be desired for a guy to take a girl he just met to an unknown destination, but I trusted Edward.

"Your house," he replied simply. Rose, Ali, and I shared a three bedroom house we had found for relatively cheap. Alice had fixed it up to look homey and we loved it a lot. Something told me Alice and Rosalie would be staying with Emmett and Jasper tonight.

"Why?" I asked.

Edward frowned a little bit before replying. "Because we really need to talk."

We pulled up in front of my house just moments later. As we walked inside I took Edward's hand. I didn't feel quite emotionally stable yet and I needed that contact with him.

We sat on the couch together and I waited for him to speak.

He shifted uncomfortably before he spoke. "Bella, I don't know you. We've only just met, yet I feel like I've known you all my life. I feel drawn to you."

The tension and awkwardness suddenly became too much. I laughed.

"A - at least I'm n-n-not the only one!" I was on my back in a fit of giggles.

After staring at me dumbstruck, Edward chuckled lightly. "What exactly are you laughing at?" he asked, poking me playfully in the ribs.

I calmed down a bit. Still smiling, I responded, "I guess the stress and tense atmosphere got to me. It was like a momentary release, I suppose."

"You said you felt that way, too." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Suddenly I turned shy and nodded, blushing slightly.

Edward's fingers came up to brush my heated cheeks. Every time he touched me It was like an electric shock I felt all the way through me down to my toes. It was an amazingly pleasant feeling.

"What happened to you?" I asked, pleading with his eyes. I could tell that he wanted to know so he could help me.

"I want to heal you," he said, confirming my thoughts. "I want to be with you. To be yours." The desperation in his voice was almost to much for my heart to bear.

I nodded frantically. I knew exactly what he meant. I wanted to be his, too.

"To put it simply," I began, "I just got out of a bad relationship."

"What happened?" He asked again. "You looked so sad up there. I wanted nothing more than to wipe your tears away. I wanted to just kiss you and hold you until whatever horrible things he did to you were gone from you."

Tears sprang to my eyes once more. I let them fall as I told my story.

"His name was Jacob. Jacob Black. We met in college two years ago. I was having lunch in the commons alone when he asked to join me. I hadn't dated much in high school. It seemed rather frivolous to me. Not to mention no one was interested." I mumbled the last sentence.

Edward's eyebrows furrowed as a frown crossed his face. "I find that hard to believe."

I laughed without humor. "Oh yeah, that's what _you_ think. Anyway, we talked and I really liked him. He had this warmth and friendship around him. I loved the feeling. So we went out on some dates and it turned serious."

"I was with him non-stop. I hardly saw Alice and Rose anymore. I felt guilty for not hanging out with them much. Especially in retrospect. But I was just so happy. A year went by in a flash. We did everything together."

"But…then things changed. At the beginning of my second senior year, he…I don't know. We just weren't together as much. He always had places to go, people to see. And here I sat, waiting for him like some love-sick puppy," I spat. "How could I have been so naïve?"

"You weren't naïve," Edward said. "You were in love."

"Well, at least I _thought_ I was. So life went on and I saw him less and less. He became emotionally cold and distant. Cruel almost. He became verbally abusive, but I couldn't force myself to leave. I guess I was in denial. I'd never had such a serious relationship before. I didn't know what to expect."

"Eventually, I noticed little clues. Receipts for gifts I had never received, calls he wouldn't take when he was with me…Then I saw her. I went to Seattle to do some shopping. He was gone for the day and I had nothing to do. I went into a bookstore I had always loved. I went to the back where they had used college books. And there she was, pinned to the bookshelf, half-naked with Jacob--_**my boyfriend**_-- all over her."

I was sobbing again. Edward held me once more as I curled into him. He didn't press me for more. He waited patiently for me to continue.

Soon, I spoke. "I backed away slowly and ran to my car. It was the only time I ever sped. I spent the day and night in bed. Luckily Alice and Rosalie weren't home. I couldn't bare to have them see me in such a condition."

"Three months went by. I told Alice and Rose what had happened. They encouraged me to confront him and dump him as soon as possible. I was being a stubborn, blind-sighted child."

"You were scared. Losing your first love is always hard," Edward explained.

"But that's just it. I _didn't _love him. I _**despised**_ him. I wanted out! But I was too cowardly." I buried my face in his chest.

"Then, one day, I'd had enough. I cornered him when I met him at his house. I screamed and hollered till my throat burned in agony. I cried till there was nothing left. And all he did was stare at me. I'll never forget his expression out of my mind."

"Like he didn't car?" Edward supplied dryly. It was as if he knew exactly how I felt and understood to a 't' what I was talking about.

"Yes," I replied dumbfounded. "How do you know?"

"Let's just say I've been there." I nodded, slightly confused. "Her name was Emily," Edward added. "I don't know anything about the guy and I don't want to. I resent her for what she did to me. It was hard to get through."

I stared at him. I couldn't believe what had just come out of his mouth. Emily? Surely it wasn't…nah. Just a coincidence, Swan. Stop freaking out.

Still curled into Edward's chest, I raised my head to look at his flawless face. I couldn't look away. I felt something then. A new chapter had begun for me. I could start over. And after what seemed like an eternity, I decided to speak.

"Are you Mr. Lovable?" I asked, smiling sweetly.

Edward surprised me by lowering his head till it was mere inches from my face. He grinned crookedly. "Maybe," he responded. "I'm speaking out," he whispered.

Screw the bet, I thought. And I kissed him.

A/N: FYI, Rose and Alice's conversation at the table behind Bella's back is definitely about Bella and Edward. Just incase you didn't catch that;) Also, Edward's ex-girlfriend, Emily, is the same Emily that Jacob cheated on with Bella. I didn't want Bella to be too phased or upset by it, so I had her brush it off rather easily. So tell me what you think. I hope I established enough personality and background to your liking. I hope you enjoyed it. I had _toooons_ of fun writing it!

Review! I know you just LOVE that green button! Come on! Push it! I know you want to!!!! LOL!;)


	2. Shopping and IHOP

**A/N: After much deliberation and excitement from readers, I have decided to continue this story. I'll be honest and say that I do not really have a plan for a full out plot. I think it will all be interconnected but mostly just random stuff when the characters interact. I'll stick with Bella's point of view. There will be Edward/Bella moments as well as group outings with everyone. I know for a fact that Jacob will make an appearance. As will Emily. I'm just going to see where it goes. I don't like to fully map out stories. Spontaneous writing is much more fun! Lol **

**If you have ideas, please send them my way!**

**Thanks bunches for the reviews. They make me so excited. If I got a review for each visitor, I would love you all unconditionally!!!**

**Make me happy and Review! A shout out to Donut37 and ISolemlySwearThatIAmUpToNoGood for reviewing. You guys rock!**

_**Shopping and IHOP**_

_**BPOV**_

_**I awoke to the bright sun streaming through my bedroom window. The glorious rays seemed to reflect my elated mood. I was being held in the arms of the most wonderfully gorgeous man I've ever laid eyes on. Edward's arms were wrapped around my torso as I felt his soft, even breaths that indicated his peaceful sleep.**_

_**I sighed contentedly. I definitely could get used to this.**_

_**As I fell deeper in thought, I began to worry. How would this continue? Could something come of last night? I mean, we hadn't done anything. We just kissed chastely. I had been exhausted and fell asleep shortly afterward. Apparently Edward had decided to move us at some point. So surely, he would be up for trying. Granted we had both been through a lot and would not by any means be moving quickly. **_

_**Time passed as I sat in deep thought and before I knew it, it was eleven in the morning. Edward began to stir. I slowly turned myself around in his arms to where I was facing him. I placed a light kiss on his forehead, trying to wake him up as nicely as I could. I heard him sigh slightly, a small grin spreading across his face. Within a few seconds his eyes flickered open, allowing me to peer into their crystal depths.**_

"_**Good morning to you, too, love." My heart skipped a beat. Had he really just called me love**_**? Was I really so luck as to have an amazing man by my side? He chuckled slightly at my lack of response. **

"**Did you sleep well?" He asked.**

"**Yes, I did. And I see you did as well." I gave his cheeks a pointed look. He had a bit of drool on them as well as imprints from the sheets. (A/N: Don't pretend that it's never happened to you! I know it has!)**

"**Same goes for you, missy," he retorted weakly. I laughed at his fail of a joke. "Don't mock me, Swan!"**

**I began to giggle uncontrollably. "And **_**why**_**, may I ask, not?"**

"**Because I'll tickle you," he responded as if it was obvious. My eyes widened and I tried to squirm away.**

"**No," I whispered. "No!" I said getting louder. "NOOOO!" I squealed and writhed against his lithe fingers as they danced across my body. I was having a hard time breathing by the time he stopped. **

**I glared at him playfully. "That was far from necessary, **_**Cullen**_**." I mocked him again, patronizingly. **

"**Well, do you have any **_**better**_** ideas?" he asked.**

"**Not really…" I trailed off.**

"**Well, let's start with some breakfast," he proposed.**

"**Sure, except, I'm not sure we could call it breakfast. It's almost noon."**

**Edward jumped slightly. "Oops," he said. "I hadn't realized we slept so late. But chocolate chip pancakes from IHOP still sound just about amazing right now."**

"**Mm," I responded. "Yes, they do."**

"**Well, what are you waiting for? Get ready."**

**I rolled out of bed (quite literally) and made my way to my closet and dresser to grab the clothes I would need for the day. I turned to face him before exiting the room. "What about you?" I inquired. **

"**No worries," he replied. "I had just gotten into town last night and had not dropped off my things at Emmett's. All of my close and toiletries are in my trunk."**

**I nodded and trotted off to take a shower. I couldn't seem to take my mind off the fact that Edward was potentially naked in my bedroom. His personality was so attracting, but his body certainly had **_**nothing**_** wrong with it. I smiled goofily as I dressed in a short black skirt with matching leggings and colorful tee and did my hair. I didn't spend much time. I ran mousse through the strands to curl them and let them dry for the day. I applied minimal make-up; just enough to cover the few blemishes present on my creamy skin. **

**I made my way back to my room to find the man of my dreams (quite literally, as of last night) sitting in my old rocking chair in the corner of the room.**

**I pounced on his lap and gave him a chaste peck on the cheek. Though before I could say a word, Edward turned his head for a full on kiss. And it was amazing. Full of passion and pure love. How could I get so lucky?**

**As we pulled apart mutually I sighed contentedly. "Thank you," I said softly.**

**Edward chuckled. "You're welcome. So…IHOP?" He was like a little kid.**

**Giggling, I responded affirmatively and we went off to the restaurant. We were seated rather quickly by a blonde haired bimbo of a hostess. The woman (if you could even **_**call**_** her that) was rather sluttish. She wore a pair of too tight black pants. I swear you could see her thong, they were so tight. Not to mention her low cut shirt that practically begged a man to take her. Sadly she didn't have much to fill it out. I stifled a giggle.**

**The most upsetting part was when she looked straight into Edward's eyes and gave him a devilish grin. "My name's Tabitha. Let me know if you need **_**anything**_**." She said with 'hidden' meaning.**

**I rolled my eyes and glared at her. She simply sniffed and walked away.**

**I scoffed and Edward turned to look at me, his eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong Bella?" **

"**Oh, nothing. Just the ho-bag waitress that was practically undressing you with her eyes" I replied as nonchalantly as I could.**

**To my dismay, Edward chuckled. "I hate girls like that. She was-erm-**_**something**_**, wasn't she?"**

"**I guess you could say that."**

"**Uh-huh…" was all he responded with.**

**A waiter came up to the table then. Starting to talk to Edward, his eyes caught me mid-sentence and he stuttered. "My name is John and…I'll…b-be your server?" The sentence ended up as more of a question. I had to try my hardest to not laugh at him.**

**I saw out of the corner of my eye Edward glare viciously at the poor boy. He couldn't be more than nineteen. "Hi, John," I said trying to help him relax. Unfortunately, this did nothing for him. If anything it made it worse. **

"**We'll have two coffees with cream and sugar," Edward said rather shortly. The boy nodded swiftly, not wanting to upset him and walked away quickly.**

"**I hate boys like that," Edward said bitingly. **

"**Uh-huh," I responded. We both laughed at our ridiculousness.**

"**I must admit, Bella, I feel rather protective of you. I'm not sure why, but I feel like you should be mine and mine only."**

**I nodded. "No, I understand. I feel the same way. I was close to pulling that girl's hair in a full out cat fight if it would keep you from liking her." I grinned a Cheshire Cat smile.**

**Edward shook his head in disbelief.**

**Conversation continued in a relaxed state despite the constant appearance of John, our waiter. He was a nice kid though. I somewhat pitied him. He must encounter so many women every day. It would be hard to hold your tongue after awhile. But he held strong.**

**After we both finished our individual monstrous stacks of chocolate chip pancakes (with whip cream) we exited the restaurant.**

"**Where to next?" Edward asked.**

**I thought quickly and realized that even though the destination might be boring, I knew a place I needed to go. "Actually Rose, Ali, and I are low on groceries. Can we go shopping?" I hoped he didn't mind. But we were nearly completely out of food.**

"**Sure. Anything you wish, Ms. Swan." I laughed a bit at his delivery.**

**We made our way to the nearest Wal-mart. I luckily had stuck a list I had made in my purse. I had intended to go shopping the day before, but Alice and Rose had kidnapped me, so the list was still in there.**

**I made my way around the store expertly. I always did food shopping. My two best friends new the detailed maps of every clothing, shoe, and accessory store in a fifty mile radius, but they were completely lost in a grocery store. As a result of my expertise, I usually ended up **_**making**_** the food as well. **

**Edward followed close to me, either pushing the cart from directly behind me (I was between him and the cart) or walking to the side with his arm around my waist. We would steal chaste kisses every now and then but we kept it clean for the other shoppers' sakes.**

"**What's for dinner?" He asked curiously. **

"**Way to invite yourself," I said sarcastically. But I grinned to let him know I was okay with the idea. "I'm not sure," I continued. "We had originally planned to go out, but I want to make something."**

"**How about lasagna?" He suggested. I felt my stomach growl at his suggestion. It was one of my favorites.**

"**Sadly," I responded, "that is one feat I have not yet attempted."**

"**Well that's okay," he said reassuringly. "Because I make a **_**mean**_** lasagna."**

**So we walked through the store picking up the needed ingredients. He had the recipe memorized apparently. He also made it all from scratch minus the noodles. We got a box of the ones you can put straight in the oven without boiling. The sauce was all to be made from scratch. I couldn't wait.**

**After checking out (Edward had **_**insisted**_** on paying half of the bill because of the lasagna) we made our way home to start the cooking. It was around three thirty and according to Edward it took at least couple hours to make.**

**We chopped and cooked and mixed. I've never seen so many herbs and spices go into one dish before. It smelled spectacular from where it sat in a massive pot on the stove. **

**After he had constructed the wonderful concoction and put it in the oven, we began the garlic bread. Halfway through I decided to call Alice, Jazz, Rose, and Emmett. We certainly couldn't eat a salad, bread, and lasagna by ourselves. Well, at least not in one night. I giggled at the though of Emmett shoveling down three helpings worth of the meal. **

"**Hey Ali," I said when Alice had answered the phone.**

"**Oh my gosh! Bella! How are you! How was last night? And this morning and afternoon? Where have you been?!" She wasn't mad. On the contrary, she was overly hyper and excited. "Whoa there, Alice!" I exclaimed to calm her down. "Last night was nice and it really helped me open up to new possibilities. As a celebration, Edward and I made a huge dinner for tonight and we are inviting all four of you. We're at our apartment."**

"**That sounds splendid, Bells!" She exclaimed. "But you didn't answer all of my questions. What did you guys do today? I thought we would have heard more from you!"**

"**Well, we didn't wake up until around eleven. We went to lunch at IHOP around twelve and then went shopping for groceries. We've been cooking for a couple hours now."**

"**Aw, Bells! I'm so happy you've found someone to do so many boring things with!" She giggled.**

"**Thanks, Alice," I responded dryly. This just made her laugh harder.**

"**Anytime, Bella! Speaking of time, when do you want us over?"**

"**We're set to eat in about thirty minutes. So, now?"**

"**Sounds good! We'll be there shortly. We've been at the guys' apartment all day. We played Rock Band for like five hours!" She was so peppy. I couldn't help but laugh.**

"**Okay, I'll see you all soon!"**

"**Bye, Bells!" I hung up the phone and went to help Edward who was setting the table.**

"**Are you excited?" he asked, noting the smile on my face.**

"**Yes," I replied simply. "They are all my best friends. I love sharing my life with them. I would have nothing without them."**

"**Well, you would have me," he said, walking over and draping his arms around my waist, pulling him closer to me. I kissed him sweetly and he returned the gesture with much more fervor. I couldn't help it. I started laughing.**

**He raised his eyebrows as he pulled away. "What now, Bells?"**

**I shook my head, trying to gasp in as much breath as I could. "I - gasp - don't - gasp - know - gasp!" Edward gave me a strange look and then helped me off of the floor. I had fallen from laughing so hard. **_**(A/N: Okay, who has laughed for no reason before? Raise your hands! No lying!)**_

"**You are so strange, my Bella. But that's why your so awesome."**

**It was such a simple remark but it really hit me deep. "Thanks, Edward."**

**A knock came on the door then. "Oh, no!" I said dramatically, earning a laugh from Edward.**

**I opened the door to find my four amazing friends standing there grinning like fools. Rolling my eyes, I let them in. Let the games begin.**

_**A/N: So the next chapter, I think I'm going to have them eat and play some games. Like…Never Have I Ever, Truth or Dare…If you have anymore ideas for fun games like that, let me know!**_

_**I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself with the tickling episode. I love the idea so much. It's just too cute! Ha, ha! So clearly, Bella doesn't quite know how to handle the relationship. She believes that it is healthier to go slow, but it is more fun and comfortable to just have a full out relationship.**_

_**So let me know what you think!**_

_**Also, I'm going to start a question and answer session. I'll pick one or two questions from any reviews I get and put them in the author's note along with an answer. They can be about the story or about me. Anything is cool!**_

_**Author's notes won't be as long as these. Sorry. Also, in order to get chapters out faster, they will probably be around this length. (5 pages)**_

_**Review, they make me smile!**_


	3. What's the Name of the Game?

What's the Name of the Game?

_A/N: the title is a reference to the ABBA song. Read on!_

BPOV

As soon as everyone was situated around the table, Edward and I served the delicious meal that had taken us hours to cook. It became true that Edward was a delightful cook. This was perfect. I didn't have to cook all the time anymore.

The lasagna was absolutely scrumptious beyond belief. The sauce had so much flavor. Every time I made lasagna, the sauce was most definitely from a jar. Edward seemed to think this fact was quite funny.

"You cook so well, Bella! How could you possibly use jarred sauce?" He asked in disbelief.

"How do you know I cook well?" I asked Edward, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"The salad of course!" He said rather sarcastically. I shoved him playfully.

Alice piped up then. "I think it is _all_ wonderful. It doesn't matter who cooks it. As long as it's edible. Right?" She gave Emmett a pointed look.

"What?!" He exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender.

"Don't think we'll ever forget the time you tried to grill!" Rose stated.

I cracked up laughing, Edward along with me. "When was this?" I inquired. Surely I would have remembered it had I been there.

"Oh, last Fourth of July I believe," stated Jasper solemnly. I understood his reserved statement. The last Fourth of July I had been with Jacob still. I kept the memory away from the front of my mind instead focusing upon the consequences of Emmett's rash actions.

"He decided to grill and nearly caught the whole damn house on fire!" Alice exclaimed.

We were all laughing rather hard by now. But more laughter erupted sending us into hysterics when Rose continued. "Old Mrs. Northington caught sight of the smoke and came running to the house with a fire extinguisher. She had called the fire station and they were on their way. Needless to say, they weren't to happy with Emmett causing a false alarm."

"At least it wasn't a real fire, Rosie," Emmett pouted. Gosh, he could be such a child sometimes.

"That's not the point, Em," Jasper said. "The flames were almost the eaves. And you almost gave the poor old lady a heart attack!"

"This is why we don't let you grill," Alice continued. "Ever," she stated with finality.

"All right," I interjected. "Before Pansy Emmett gets his feelings hurt, maybe we should change the subject."

"Um, okay," was the general response.

"What should we talk about?" Alice asked.

"Well…we could play some games," Edward suggested.

"OH! MY! GOSH!" Alice exclaimed with an ear piercing shriek.

Edward leaned over to whisper in my ear, though loudly so everyone could easily hear. "Is she always like this?"

I nodded my head swiftly. "Just pretend that she's normal. That's what I do, and it works rather well. I don't go through half a bottle of aspirin every day, trying to get rid of a massive headache any more."

"Those must have been rough times," Edward looked at me sadly.

"Yes," I responded seriously. "They were." I couldn't take the seriousness for much longer. I giggled a little.

"Who you two stop jabbering over there so we can get started with some games?"

I rolled my eyes as Alice jumped up and down like a pogo stick jacked up on Mountain Dew and pounds of pixie sticks.

"Fine," I said exasperated. "What are we playing?"

"Never have I ever is a MUST!" Rosalie interjected excitedly. I agreed happily along with everyone else.

Alice broke in before we could even begin. "Wait!" she shouted holding her hands up in a 'stop' position. "Let's do this in the hot tub!" She was bouncing up and down again. I really couldn't take much more of this, I thought. Maybe a massive dose of Benadryl or even some Ritalin would slow her down to human speed.

"That sounds like fun," Jasper said. Everyone nodded their heads.

So we girls made our way upstairs to dress in our new summer bikinis while the guys got dressed. Jasper and Emmett always kept the essentials at our house. Plenty of changes of clothing, toiletries, and bathing suits. Edward's things were still here so he was set to go as well.

It was still early June so it wasn't very hot or humid outside. The twilight lit night was gorgeous this time of year. All of us girls got into the already warm water, jets courtesy of Alice. We waited as the guys got dressed. I swear sometimes they were ten times slower than us. Emmett could be such a girl when it comes to getting ready.

"Hey!" a voice boomed. "You guys got in before us!" A ridiculous pout crossed Emmett's face. I rolled my eyes.

"Are you going to stand there and gripe or join us?" I glared at him playfully.

I watched as Emmett stepped in, making the water level rise significantly. I tried my best to keep a straight face.

Jasper was next, his blonde hair glinting in the light of dusk. Alice's eyes sparkled as he came to sit by her, pulling her onto his lap swiftly. They were definitely the cutest together. I had a hard time watching because I always had the feeling I was intruding on a private and wordless conversation.

I looked away to see an angel coming towards the hot tub. My jaw went slack, leaving my mouth slightly open. Sure Edward was gorgeous. But that was just with clothes on. Now, all he wore was a pair of black swim trunks that hung loose (and dangerously low) on his hips. My knees were weak and I wasn't even standing.

I watched as my Edward (was he mine?) stepped into the hot tub and took a seat next to me. Everyone had their legs extended, feet in the middle. Before I could say a word, Edward's long, slender finger came up to my chin and snapped my mouth shut. My teeth clacked together with a small pop.

I shook my head, being pulled out of my reverie. A place where I would have gladly stayed, but I knew we had to get on with the game.

"Alright!" I said, taking charge. It was quite a change from the usually domineering Alice. "So we are playing Never Have I Ever. Edward have you ever played?" I asked. It would go much fast without having to explain the rules.

Edward nodded his head. "Naturally. It was one of the most popular games in high school. Apart from Truth or Dare of course."

Alice's head snapped up at his words. "Oh. My. Gosh! Truth or Dare! How come _I_ didn't think of that?!" She was squealing again. "We are sooo playing that, Bella!"

"Okay, okay, Alice! Chill! We'll play as long as you promise to stop making our ears bleed with your dog whistle voice!" I screeched placing my hands over my ears dramatically. Everyone chuckled and we began.

As everyone held up their ten fingers, Jasper began. "Never have I ever had sex in an elevator." Aah, I thought. So we are starting off simple. Sometimes as the game went on, my friends and I would get ridiculous and vindictive trying to bring everyone down.

I noticed Emmett and Rose both put down a finger. I grimaced while Jasper sniggered evilly. Okay, so maybe everyone _was_ out to get the next person. I shook my head in utter disgust. "Come on guys, why an _elevator_. Please tell me you were at least alone!"

Rose merely shrugged suggestively and I swear I saw Alice wretch jokingly. "Alright, alright, moving on," she said. "Never have I ever been to a tanning bed."

It was no surprise to see another of Rose's fingers go down, but what really got me was when I saw Edward's pinky go down. I turned to look at him, my face displaying complete shock. "Really?" I raised a single eyebrow.

He just shrugged. "I was seventeen and my sisters dared me." So he had sisters. I had a lot to learn. Perhaps more than fun would come of the night.

It was Edward's turn. "Never have I ever gotten drunk and belly danced on a pool table." He could hardly finish his sentence before he and Jasper erupted into laughter. I've never seen Jasper in such hysterics. Why were they laughing, you may ask? Well, you see, Emmett put his finger down, red rising to his cheeks.

Alice and I shared a quick look before we joined the other boys in their laughter. Rose just stared at Emmett in disbelief. But I swear there was something more in her gaze.

"It was college," Emmett muttered, embarrassed. "Edward and I were in a fraternity. What do you expect?"

"You don't have to defend yourself," Rose stated.

"Um, why?" he asked, confused.

"Because I find it extremely sexy," I heard Rosalie whisper seductively in his ear. It was my turn to wretch. Though not as jokingly as Alice.

"Okay then," I interjected. "Never have I ever…had a sibling," I said evilly and narrowing my eyes at them all, jokingly.

They all glared at me as they each put a finger down. I was officially winning. For now.

Emmett's turn came next. "Never have I ever kissed Bella."

Edward put a finger down and Alice squealed. "Aah! You owe me a shopping trip Bells!!"

I looked at her stunned. Why would she bring that up?! Edward was going to think I didn't give a crap about him. Now I was pissed. I was going to have to endure an endless shopping trip with Ali and Rose. Ugh, that was the _last_ thing I wanted.

I noticed Edward staring at me in surprise. I turned my head slowly to look at him, guilt coloring my face.

"What is she talking about, love?" My heart misbehaved. I couldn't get enough of that nickname. It was a perfect description.

"W-well," I stuttered. "They bet me I would kiss you by the end of last night. I didn't think I would just because I thought I was the only one feeling like that. Apparently, I was mistaken."

"Feeling like what?" Oh, now he was just poking at me when I was already down. The man did _not_ play fair.

"You know…" I trailed off.

"No, Bella. I'm sorry to say I don't know what you are talking about," he responded a little too innocently.

I sighed dramatically. "I don't know how to explain it. Just…the admiration, the love between us. Not to mention the clear electricity whenever you touch me." I was babbling at this point.

"You mean like this?" He asked, his hand coming up to stroke my cheek and leaving a tingling feeling upon my face.

"Yeah," was my genius, breathy response. I heard him chuckle.

Frowning from the teasing I turned to Rosalie and nodded. "Never have I ever done karaoke." She narrowed her eyes at me. What _was_ this? Gang-up-on-Bella day? I put a finger down, but wasn't alone. Edward, Emmett, and Alice all put one down as well. We continued around the circle. Everyone was trying to beat Edward and I down. They always lost (aka I always won) when we played this game and they were determined to make us lose. However, Edward knew much about Emmett and this occasionally made Jasper lose a couple fingers at the same time. And I knew much more about Rose and Ali that put them in quite the tight position. So, consequently, despite their desperate attempts to win for the first time. All four lost miserably to me and Edward. We laughed mercilessly at their dejected expressions.

Somehow through the course of the game I had ended up in Edward's lap encircled in his arms. It was quite the comfortable, though slippery, position. His body was rock hard due to his impeccable muscles, however he was the softest pillow I had ever encountered.

The sun had set long ago but we were all still hyped up and awake. Next on the list: Truth or Dare. This particular game made me quite nervous. I somehow always ended up with the worst possibilities of truths and dares. Always embarrassing. Of course, that was probably thanks to Emmett and Alice. Alice knew _everything_ about me and Emmett…well, Emmett just wanted to make a complete fool of me.

"Alright, Edward," Alice pounced, "Truth or dare?"

I swear I saw him gulp before answering, "Truth?" Uh-oh, I thought. Poor kid. He never stood a chance.

An evil grin proceeded to invade Alice's face. "I think my choice was a bad one," he whispered fearfully in my ear. I nodded, smiling sheepishly.

"I guess I should have said something to you as a warning."

He glared back to me, feigning annoyance. "That would have been nice, love."

"I've got one! With whom was your last relationship?"

I froze, Edward froze, my mouth was somewhat agape. I saw in the dim lighting of the porch, the color leaving Edward's face instantaneously.

However, before any more could shine through, his face changed, voiding any emotion that was previously present. His expression was hard and cold.

I raised my hand to touch it to his cheek in a desperate attempt to calm whatever storm Alice had started. But rather than the yelling or cold words I was expecting, Edward gracefully set me on the step next to him in the hot tub. He stood up, grabbing a towel, and went inside. I looked down into my lap, red coloring my face.

"Wha-"Alice began, but I cut her off. My head shot up in anger.

"Bad choice, Ali!" I snapped. Standing quickly without tripping (surprisingly) I, too, grabbed a towel and headed inside to clean up the mess my best friend had unknowingly started.

_A/N: I know this was short, but I wanted to get something out quick. The problem I had with my other story was that I could never get updates out quick enough because I was worried about the chapters being too short. So, even though it was short, I really hope you enjoyed it. I might have a little time to write before graduation (!!!) but I can't make any promises. At the latest, expect something some time next week! I'll be out of town from Saturday till Tuesday. Review, you know I love them!_


	4. Reparations and Bedtime

Reparations and Bedtime

_A/N: Thanks to my BFFs Olivia and Lauren. You guys rock my socks with your support!_

BPOV

I don't know what came over me. Snapping at Ali was not what I meant to do. It was an overreaction. I just really didn't like seeing Edward hurt like that. He was such a good person and deserved happiness. I guess I was trying to protect him in my own way.

I tried to justify my ridiculous behavior as I searched the house for my new… friend.

I found Edward in the kitchen. He was holding a glass of water and sipping it thoughtfully as he looked out the window. Occasionally he would swirl the contents of the glass around as if searching for something beyond the depths of the tap water.

"You know," I said, startling him slightly, "we have bottled water that doesn't taste like crap."

He smiled slightly. I made my way to fridge and pulled out a bottle of Disani and handed it to him. He took it and dumped the contents into the now-empty glass.

"I'm sorry they brought that up," I started. He just shook his head.

"It's fine. No worries. I overreacted. I'm just not used to talking about it. Last night was the first time I said it out loud. It felt weird. A lot of feelings were drudged up."

"Trust me," I said. "I know the feeling. Unfortunately," I stated with a wry grin, "Alice and Rose do that a lot."

"What? Ask about who my last relationship was with?" he chuckled.

"Well, not exactly," I responded, blushing. "I meant, they get kind of personal. But I told them to back off, so let's hope they get the picture." I grabbed his hand and squeezed it softly. It was a small gesture to most, but I knew that between the two of us it was a big deal and meant a lot. "We should get back," I said, trailing off. I didn't really want to go back. I wanted to hang out with Edward and just…be.

He shook his head vigorously. "No, you go ahead. I'm just going to pack my stuff in my trunk and head to a hotel."

I frowned. We still hadn't figured out the living space issue.

"Hey," I started. "Why don't you stay here? I mean, why go spend money on a stiff room when we have room here. I mean it's not the best, but you could sleep in my bed. I really don't mind taking the couch—" I was rambling and I just about kicked myself for it.

Edward just stood there, grinning his stupid, perfect grin as I fumbled my way through the conversation like some idiot.

"Sure," he interjected, mid-sentence. At least he stopped me. "I'd love to stay here, Bella," my knees weakened. That voice…

I nodded, my brain feeling a bit foggy. I had to look away from that perfect face. But I couldn't. A bubbly voice broke from the doorway.

"Hey are you guys coming back or what?" I turned to see a dripping Alice standing in the doorway. Her petite stature and cross expression gave her the appearance of a pissed off Tinker Bell. I sniggered and I noticed Edward smirking.

She rolled her eyes and tapped her toe impatiently. When she put her hands on her hips it was the last straw. Both Edward and I burst into a fit of laughter. He chuckled so hard he began coughing. And that made me giggle even harder. I was bent over at the waist; my hands were almost touching the ground. I looked up to see Alice smirking towards something (or some_one_) behind me. She had an eyebrow raised.

I straightened and looked behind me. Edward was staring at me. The second I caught his gaze with mine, he looked away, a small tinge of red hinting at his cheeks.

Realizing that he had been staring at _me_, particularly my backside, made me blush furiously. I was beyond crimson. I had invented a new shade of red never before seen by any scientist.

"Perhaps I should get my stuff from my car," Edward mumbled and walked out the front door.

I noticed Alice still staring at me. Glaring, I spoke, "What?"

"Nothing, Bells," she said too innocently. Rolling my eyes and scoffing, I marched out the door to help Edward with his bags.

After we had loaded everything into my bedroom, I cleared out a couple drawers. I didn't know how long he was staying and I didn't want him living out of a suitcase. I still had plenty of room in my closet – much to Alice's objections.

"I don't feel right taking your bed, Bella," Edward spoke.

"It's fine!" I wasn't worried. We actually had a strangely comfy couch. It was one of those huge leather ones that were really cushy and sagged the second you sat down.

"No, Bella! I refuse to take your bed while you are stuck on the couch." He crossed his arms stubbornly.

Well, I was just as stubborn. I was _not_ going to lose this one. I mimicked his action and even cocked my hip to the side for affect. "You are my guest. Therefore you get the bed. Period. End of discussion." I proceeded to turn on my heal and leave. I barely made it to the door.

"Not so fast Isabella!" I felt his firm hand clasp onto my upper arm. "Take the bed!"

"I-I-…" I stuttered. I couldn't even think coherently. His very green emerald orbs were staring right through me. I couldn't decide if it was creepy or fascinating.

I located something in his eyes. Was it desire? Passion? Longing? All three? I didn't know anymore. I was so confused. I shook my head to attempt to clear it.

"I'm not letting you sleep on the couch," he said with a definitive tone, tugging me toward him slightly.

I just kept staring. "I'm not letting you either." It came out as more of a whisper. I felt like I was in a trance when I looked into his eyes.

Just then a piece of his bronze, tousled hair fell into his eyes. I had an incredible urge to brush it away. It took all of me to not reach up and touch his face.

"You know," he said softly, tugging again, "there is a solution to our little problem."

"What?" I asked, genuinely curious. He pulled me closer until I was flush against his chest.

"We could share the bed."

My heart began to misbehave; it beat furiously, struggling to escape the confines of my chest. Oh my…sharing a bed with Edward? How would I keep composed?

_That's the point, Bella. You _don't_ keep composed. You ravish him…_

My ridiculous thoughts trailed off. I tried desperately to think rationally.

"Um…uh," was my genius response.

"Never mind, Bella. It was a stupid idea." The poor guy looked like he could just kick himself.

"No, no, no, no, no! I don't mind. I was just…surprised. That's all," I reassured him. Why would I pass up such a big chance? I mean, clearly there was something between us. Wasn't there?

He smiled, displaying the most gorgeous grin yet and hugged me tenderly. Definitely not at all like Emmett's bear hugs or Jasper's tentative ones. This one conveyed so much more. Sure, there was an understanding there of a special sort of friendship we had developed in just 24 hours, but there was more. And I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

***

While my four crazy friends partied a bit more outside in the hot tub, Edward and I were busy getting ready for bed and changing the bed sheets. It had been a couple weeks since they had been changed and I thought it was only fair to give him clean ones.

I thought came to mind when I was putting on a blue pillow case. "Edward," I spoke into the deafening silence.

"Yes?" He responded.

"How long are you staying?"

"What do you mean, Bella?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. My breathing quickened at the sight. He was so gorgeous.

"H-how long will you be in town?" His eyebrows furrowed at my oddly placed stuttering.

"Well, permanently, actually."

My jaw dropped. I thought this was a visit. Just to catch up with Emmett.

"Wow. Wait a minute…why are you even here?" I asked stupidly.

Edward chuckled before responding. "Well, I finished med school about a year ago and they offered me a good job at the hospital here."

"Oh, wow. I didn't know you were a doctor. What kind?"

He laughed effortlessly at me. "You sound like you're asking me what kind of ice cream I like."

I rolled my eyes and glared playfully at him. "You know what I mean."

We spread the comforter back on the bed as he spoke.

"I'm a neurosurgeon. And they were in desperate need for one."

"Wow," I said again.

"Is that your word of the day?" Edward asked sarcastically with a smirk.

Glaring slightly, I made my way to the bathroom. I had to admit that he had a fantastic sense of humor. I loved sarcasm. This is why Rose and I hit it off so well at first. She is _very_ sarcastic.

I brushed my teeth while I thought of Edward. He said he was here permanently. But where did that leave us? I mean, surely he wasn't going to stay with us forever. He'd want his own house or apartment eventually. Right? Or would he live here? Oh boy. This was going to be awkward when the subject arose. But I certainly wouldn't mind waiting…

As I was finishing up, a knock came from the other side of the door.

"Yes?" I asked, flinging the door open to find a shocked Edward.

He chuckled. Apparently, I had startled him.

I still had to blow dry my wet hair, so while I did that, Edward got ready as well. It wasn't a big bathroom, but it still held plenty of room.

We both finished up rather quickly and headed off to my bedroom.

The situation was a bit awkward. I didn't know what side to sleep on. Would he want the left? Or the right? It was such a trivial thing to worry about, but it felt so crucial.

As we both stood there staring at the bed, I finally broke. I started laughing. Again. For some reason, I felt to weightless, so carefree around Edward. I could laugh for no reason at all. And just two days ago, laughing was a nonexistent in my life. Edward had come in and brightened my world in just a matter of hours. It was astonishing.

I backed up the short distance to the wall and slid down, landing hard on my butt. This made me laugh harder. I rolled on the floor in hysterics and Edward just gaped at me.

"I-it was the t-tension," I tried to speak. "I couldn't h-help myself. I was so nervous and you were tense," I babbled. I put a hand over my mouth to stifle my laughter. _(A/N: I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. I love it when he makes her giggle.)_

Edward chuckled lightly as he picked me up bridal-style from the floor and threw me on the bed. "You think I'm funny, do you?" he demanded tickling me. I found myself uncontrollably giggling once more. I was hardly able to breathe and my stomach ached from the muscles clenching and the lack of oxygen.

Eventually, Edward stopped and I felt my body relax from the tense position I was in. I was getting tired and as my gasping slowed to normal breaths, Edward spoke.

"So, do you want the right or left side?" I stifled my giggles at his question.

"I'll take left," I responded quickly. I was tired and couldn't wait to sleep. It had been quite a long day.

We both rose from the bed and pulled back the large beige down comforter. It was the best blanket in the world. Warm in the winter and surprisingly cool in the summer. I pulled the hair band from my head and ran my fingers through my hair, making it look slightly disheveled.

We turned out the light and laid down. However, the second my head hit the pillow, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. Suddenly, my body had become hyper aware of the presence next to me. My body felt tingly, like little zaps of electricity were running through me. It was so different from anything I've ever felt before. It was exciting, but terrifying all the same.

I laid there, watching the minutes go by on my digital clock on my dresser. Before I knew it, two hours had gone by. I felt Edward's calm and relaxed breathing beside me. I decided to get up and get a glass of water and read. The solitary quietness usually put me to sleep pretty easily.

I made my way silently downstairs to the kitchen. When I got to the doorway of the room I realized the light was on. I looked at the table to see Jasper sitting at the table sipping a cup of tea. Jasper had always been my 'tea buddy'. I was the only one besides him that like tea over coffee. Many a times we had had conversations during the night. Sometimes after Jasper's _escapades _with Alice, he would come down to find me sitting and reading or drinking tea. Usually he would join me and I would talk to him. He was very easy to talk to and he was laid back. I could talk to him like I could with Alice.

I walked forward and smiled as I poured a cup of the steaming water still in the pot on the stove.

"Well good morning, Bella. What brings you here at this fine hour?"

There was still a light hint of his old southern accent. He had slowly fallen out of it over the years I had known him, but every once in a while it would make an appearance.

"I just couldn't sleep, Jazz."

"Ah," he responded knowingly.

"What?" I asked, defensively.

"Oh, Bella, it isn't hard to tell you feel awkward about the current…sleeping situation."

I smiled sheepishly and went to sit across the small kitchenette table. I sipped at my tea thoughtfully as I waited for him to go on. He assumed a lot, but he was always right. At last he spoke.

"I think you're confused, Bells. You don't know where you stand with Edward. Apparently you guys kissed last night. Normally that means something. You feel attracted to him. And your also terrified because you just got out of a shitty relationship and your not sure how to move forward with your new-found happiness. Not to mention your trying to way your thoughts between his physicality and personality. You really like him, Bells. There's something between you two. The way he looks at you…it's like he's seen the light or something." He smirked slight at his joke.

Wow. Jasper had me pinned. He always had that talent. The extreme sensitivity to everyone's emotions. His uncanny ability to read people was astonishing. And I loved him for it. He was probably my best guy friend. Emmett was fun to hang with when I want to feel better. He always had a smile and joke to make me forget all about whatever was bothering me. But Jasper…he was different. He helped me sort out problems I was procrastinating. Not even Alice could get some of the things we talk about out of me.

Don't get me wrong. I loved Alice. As a sister, a best friend, a fashion expert. But Jazz was my confidante, I suppose. He never failed me. He was always observing, always calculating. He was cautious of intrusion but forward just enough to help.

"Wow, Jazz," I responded. "You always get me. And you never cease to amaze me." I went over to give him a hug and then I sat down for a long conversation.


	5. The Inevitable and the Unexpected

The Inevitable and the Unexpected

**I'm sorry guys. The reason? Life and procrastination get mixed up a lot. :\ So Please forgive and READ ON!! Yay!**

My talk with Jasper that night, had really put things into perspective. It was crazy how he could understand how I was feeling almost more than me. Certainly, things began to look up.

My friends and I began hanging out like we had before Jacob had happened. And the new addition of Edward was for the best. Rose, Alice, and Jasper loved him.

A few weeks had placed, and my feelings for Edward kept intensifying. It got to the point where my heart would speed erratically or even skip beats when I just saw his face. He could make my thoughts incoherent and my speech disappear with a mere glance or gorgeous crooked smile. Certainly he knew the effect he had on me! Right?

On this particular day, I was preparing for an interview at a law firm in which I was applying for an editing job. I was as nervous as ever and couldn't stop shaking. I buttoned my black and white top and zipped up my sleek pencil skirt. Just as I had stepped into my 1940s-style heels, a knock came at my door. I was confused. Who could it be? Ali and Rose usually just barged in unannounced. Jazz and Em knew from experience to never enter my room. (What a long story _that_ was…)

I walked to my door, confusion coloring my face. The confusion was soon wiped from my face and replaced by an intense chagrin.

Edward Masen stood before me in his glorious perfection; green eyes boring into mine.

My knees wobbled.

"H-hi," I said lamely.

Chuckling, he responded. "Bella, my car had to be taken to the shop. The battery died this morning. Would you mind if I borrowed your car?"

"Uh, I um…I," I stuttered. Mentally berating myself, I managed to form a sensible sentence. "Yeah, that's fine."

Beaming, Edward took my hand and led me down the stairs. "Um, where are we going?" I asked.

"You have an interview," he responded as if it were clear as day. And frankly, it was.

"Oh," I said anti-climatically.

Smirking he said, "Indeed."

"Why are you taking me?" I asked.

"Well, I have to run a few errands. So I thought I might as well take your car and drop you off so I can do them while you're out of the h-" he stopped himself abruptly.

I gave him a questioning look and he attempted to repair what he said. "While you're in your interview. You know…kill two birds with one stone?" he stated, though it came out as more of a question. I raised a skeptical eyebrow and continued walking with him.

"Kill two birds with one stone…" I trailed off, shaking my head. I laughed lightly and got in the car.

"Where are we going?" he asked. He had still not learned the area as perfectly as the rest of us. It had only been a few weeks.

"Downtown at the corner of 3rd and Bartlet," I stated expertly. He stared at me, blinking in confusion. "Would you like me to drive?" I asked with a small smile.

"No…no, no, no. I've got it. I can figure it out."

"Uh-huh," I said skeptically. It's a good thing we had left early. Because if he got us lost, it wouldn't have been pretty.

"So, what your plans for tonight?" he asked casually.

Thinking nothing of it, I proceeded to answer. "Oh nothing as far as I know. I think the girls are staying at Em and Jazz's apartment." I rolled my eyes. I don't know why they bothered to claim our home as theirs. They hardly spent a night away from the guys. "So I suppose I have the house to myself tonight."

Edward nodded his head, obviously in deep thought about something.

"Would you like to do anything with me tonight?" he asked suddenly.

"I well…yeah. Sure!" I answered.

He beamed with happiness at my answer, and I was immediately glad that I hadn't turned him down. Not that I would…I mean I really liked Edward. He was fun to hang out with. And I liked him as much more. I just didn't want to ruin what we had. So I would stay quiet; for the time being at least.

We reached the building of my interview in record time. I shook my head in disbelief.

"What?" he asked laughing.

"Nothing," I said with a sly grin. I stepped out of the car and turned back before I closed my door. "Hey, I'll call you when my interview is over."

He nodded and waved a quick good-bye before taking off the second I had closed the door.

Laughing, I walked into the lobby of the modern building before me.

Edward's POV

I quickly sped away and made for the Caraba's Italian Restaurant across town. This would be it. The night I finally told Bella how I felt. I loved her. I was sure of it. Every part of me yearned for her in a way I had never known. Emily had never affected me like this.

I did a quick and perfect parking job before walking quickly inside and talking to the manager. There was a back room in the restaurant. Quaint, intimate, and beautiful; just as I wanted it.

After reserving the room and planning what would come out of the kitchen and when, I made my way to the lake side that wasn't far from the girls' house. I scoped out the area, deciding where to bring her and what to do. According to the weatherman, clear skies full of stars and a full moon were expected. The perfect night.

On my way back to the house, I called Emmett.

"Yo!" He greeted me. Rolling my eyes, I proceeded with the reason I had called.

"Hey Em, I need to borrow your apartment to get ready. Bella and I have a night out and I don't want to impose when she gets ready."

"No problemo. Anything else?"

"Actually…" I trailed off thinking deeply. "Hey, could you put Jasper on the phone?"

"Sure," he said. I could clearly make out him hollering for Jasper and then I heard the phone switch hands.

"Hello, Edward." Jasper greeted politely. I chuckled inwardly at the difference between him and Emmett.

"Hey Jasper. I need your help with something. I'm taking Bella out on a date tonight." I paused to gauge his reaction. I could tell that he and Bella were rather close and I didn't want to upset him.

"That's great Edward!" he responded happily. I let out a breath I hadn't been aware of holding. "She's going to flip. She really likes you Edward."

"Really?" I asked excitedly. Wow, what had come over me? I sounded like an excited adolescent girl that just found out her biggest crush wanted to ask her to the dance.

"Yeah, man. She told me the other night." The tone of his voice suggested there was something more to what he was saying, but gave a hint for me to not press him further.

"Well good. I like her, too. I mean obviously, or else I wouldn't have asked her on a date and reserved a restaurant's back room with special dinner plans and a night at the lake with all of these…." I trailed off. All this rambling made me seem like such a girl. Only then did I realize how incredibly nervous I was. What if she didn't like what I had planned? What if it wasn't good enough? What if she expected _more_?! I shook those thoughts quickly from my head. I knew Bella well enough to know that she was not vain. She didn't expect much, and that over showering her with gifts was enough to make her run for the hills.

I heard Jasper laughing at me from phone. "Oh, shut up!" This only made his laugh more hearty. "Basically I need you to set some stuff up for me at the lake. I'll be over in about ten to give you details. Tell Emmett I'm on my way."

"See you in a bit. Oh and Edward!" he barely caught me before I hung up the phone.

"Yeah?"

"You hurt her, you get your ass kicked. Understand? And that's coming from Emmett. Though I'll do my part as well." His voice was serious.

"I have no intention of ever doing that to her Jasper."

"Good."

With that, we both hung up. By that time, I was in front of the house and dashing inside to get my clothes.

I had not noticed the foreign car outside. My mind was completely absorbed into the plans and anxiety of the night to come. I burst through the door, yet before I could race up the stairs, I heard an odd sound.

Well, the sound wasn't odd as much as it was not normal. It was a woman. Of that I was sure. I froze at the foot of the stairs, straining my ears to listen. The noise was coming from the living room.

A strange whimpering sound issued from around the corner. Without knowing how I got there, I stood at the entrance of the sitting area and was baffled at the sight before me.

BPOV

I walked out into the bright sunlight, squinting. The day was gorgeous. Edward had not answered his phone, much to my surprise. It had gone straight to voicemail. So either he had been on the phone, or his phone was off. So I took advantage of the beautiful day and began the short walk to the nearest bus stop.

I arrived home with plenty of time left to get ready. I marched up the stairs, shaking the hair out of my clip that had held it up for the past few hours.

Before I reached the landing, I heard a soft knock on the door. I paused, thinking it was my ears playing tricks on me. Then I heard the doorbell ring.

I did a 180 and trotted down the stairs, stumbling on the last step. Smoothing my disheveled hair, I proceeded to open the door.

Before what my eyes saw registered in my brain, I was smiling. However that look was instantaneously wiped away when I realized who stood before.

All of the air rushed from my lungs before I uttered the one name I loathed. "Jake," I whispered.

**A/N: Dun, dun, DUUUUNNN!!! Lol. Hope you guys liked the little cliffy I added. I worked hard on this chapter and I hope you liked it. The next chapter should be out relatively soon. I'm anxious to write Edward's interaction with Jacob!! Drop me a review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading! **


	6. My Sincerest Apologies

To My Readers:

I want to write…badly. But sometimes thoughts and ideas have a hard time being transferred to paper; thus, writer's block. And to add to it all, in just a matter of days I will be moving.

I start college in less than two weeks, and I know that the change in lifestyle, the toll it takes on me mentally, physically, and emotionally, will be hard to deal with. Unfortunately, not everyone can breeze through college without having to work and study their asses off. And I most definitely fall into that category. I will be working two jobs while trying to pull off fourteen credit hours per semester so I can graduate for sure within four years. Not to mention the rather massive amount of debt I'll be weighed under. But do know that I have NOT given up this story. I do vow to finish it. Because ideas pop into my head often, time is just low sometimes.

So please forgive me for putting another story on hold. I will continue to write for this story, and hopefully when I update next (which could be quite a bit from now) I will have several chapters finished.

I do want to thank each and every one of you who took the time to read and even review my story. Soulmate's success out-numbers The Beginning of Eternity with just as many favorites and one less alert. And to make things better, it has a nice number of reviews for only being 6 chapters in length. So I cannot thank you all enough for reading my story. And I hope that when I do come back to finish, you'll be there to read and review as always. (Though I don't blame you if you don't ha ha.) I give you my most sincere apology,

Amanda

P.S. I'm proud to declare my major is English Writing with intent to be an editor within a publishing company. Wish me luck!!


	7. Drama and Recoveries

**Alright, let's skip the excuses and go straight to I'm the worst person ever. I never meant to be away for so long. I hope and pray the next time I update will NOT be 6 months later. I feel awful guys…really I am so sorry! I hope you find a way to forgive me and take this chapter as a token of my gratitude for you staying strong with me and my story and being amazing people!**

**I can't promise fast updates. But I'll tell you that a couple weeks ago this insane urge to write has come over me. And I didn't realize how much I missed writing. It's like falling in love all over again! Hahaha Well I truly hope you guys like this chapter and stay with the story. You guys are AWESOME! Thank you!**

**Without further ado…**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own anything that is not of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Drama and Recoveries

EPOV

I stared at the sight before me and took it all in with quick, rash judgment. Bella sat in the arm chair in the far corner of the room. She was nearly in the fetal position just staring into nothingness.

Closer to me, sitting on the couch with an emotionless look on his face was a man I thought I would never see again. The bastard that had cheated with my girlfriend. But how… I was beyond baffled.

How could a man I hated with so much passion show up in my g-…in Bella's living room?

Without anymore hesitation, I made presence known. With a fierce snarl, I stepped forward into his line of sight.

"What the _fuck_, do you think you're doing here?!" I spat.

His head snapped up to look at my face with a cold expression that would've chilled me to the bone had I not been so completely irate at that moment in time.

"GET OUT! NOW!" I screamed in fury.

Sneering, Jacob stood to tower over me. Regardless of his height and build, I wasn't backing down. He had torn Bella apart once, (figuratively), and he was not doing it again.

"What exactly is going to happen if I don't?" he asked with a sarcastic look on his face.

"I'll beat the living shit out of you! What the mother fucking hell did you do to her?!" I turned on my heel, racing to my l-…Bella's side.

I looked into her eyes, conveying my desire for her to come out of whatever mental state she was in. It was scaring the hell out of me.

Jacob had the nerve to take two steps closer to me. My animalistic side erupted and I was on my feet in one fluid motion. I jabbed him in the chest with my finger.

"Turn around," I seethed in a deadly quiet voice, "and get the HELL out of this house. NOW."

Sneering once more, the asshole turned to leave.

"And don't think about coming back. Because I'll kick your ass."

I heard the front door slam louder than it should have and I raced immediately to Bella's side.

"Bella!" I nearly shouted out of fear. I waved my hand frantically in front of her face. "Bella!"

Slowly her eyes began to refocus and realize I was right in front of her. She jumped slightly at my proximity and stared at me with her wide, doe-like, gorgeous, deep brown… _Snap out of it, Edward_, I berated myself.

"E-Edward…What happened?!" she asked, starting to panic.

"Y-you don't remember?" I asked baffled.

"I just remember coming home…someone knocking on the d-" Her eyes then grew wider, if possible. "Was he really here?" She asked, her voice small.

I nodded solemnly.

"Oh my God," she said softly, putting her face in her hands.

And before I could say or do anything, she started to sob….hard. I was scared. Even when we had first met, she had not cried like this.

I picked her up bridal-style and carried her up to her room and laid her on her bed. After a split second of deliberation, I crawled in next to her. I held her back against me and entwined my arms around her torso. She shook against me, sobbing and sniffling.

I simply stayed quiet and ran my fingers through her hair softly, trying to calm and sooth her.

After about an hour, her sobs had quieted to uneven breathing as she slept in my arms.

Trying not to move to much, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called Emmett and Jasper.

"Where the hell are you, man? We've been waiting around forever."

"Sorry, Em," I whispered. "Something came up. Bella and I aren't going out tonight."

"What happened? Why are you whispering?" He asked, suddenly.

"I'll explain later," I said. I bid him a quick good-bye before calling Caraba's.

I told the manager that we wouldn't be able to come in after all and that I would call another time to reschedule our reservations.

It was a shame we couldn't go out. And I was royally pissed at Jacob for both inadvertently cancelling our plans tonight as well as causing my Bella to be like this. The bastard didn't deserve to live. Not only for what he did to Bella, but also what he did to me. He had destroyed both of our lives as we knew them.

However, there was one good thing he gave us that nearly wiped the slate clean (though not quite). He had given us each other. And for that, I was truly grateful.

After a while I couldn't really keep my eyes open and eventually I fell asleep holding Bella in my arms.

***

BPOV

"Umph," I groaned. My whole body was beyond stiff. I could hardly move. Not that I wanted to really…I was lying flush against a sleeping Edward. My body seemed to fit against his like two long lost pieces of a puzzle.

I was trying to remember how we got here when it all came rushing back to me at once. "Oh my G-," I choked out. I pulled my self into Edward's chest even more if at all possible. I buried my face into his shoulder trying to block out everything that had happened.

I had never felt so helpless and broken before. When I had answered the door, confusion was the first thing to take over my brain. But that was quickly followed by anger. And then I panicked.

Why, you ask? Well I honestly have no clue. It was like I was catatonic. The man I had loved for so long had broken my heart nearly beyond repair. But now, for some reason, he came back. Did he want forgiveness? Did he want to break my heart all over again? I couldn't reason why he would be here. Instead, my body just shut down. I sat in the arm chair, curled in a ball. I could hear and see everything happening, but my body was unresponsive. And it scared the shit out of me. Imagine being tortured and not being able to say anything. I couldn't scream at him to get out. All I could do was sit there and watch him take a seat on my couch and stare at me with those cold, dark, pit-like eyes that had torn my heart in two.

He had just opened his mouth to say something when I heard the front door bang open and closed and the sound of feet scurry past the living room. The shuffling sound stopped and foot steps padded slowly closer.

There was Edward, the exact man I needed at this moment. His eyes widened when he took in my state on the chair. However, his facial expression changed dramatically and almost instantaneously the second his eyes focused on the bastard to my right.

"What the _fuck_, do you think you're doing here?!" he spat with malice.

I watched as Jacob's head snapped up to look at my b-…Edward's face with a cold expression that would've chilled anyone to the bone.

"GET OUT! NOW!" he screamed. The sudden noise frightened me, but I welcomed it if it would get rid of the plague in my living room.

I watched as Jacob stood and walked to Edward. He towered over him even though Edward was 6' 2". I could tell Edward had no intention of backing down. He would protect me. He knew what I needed and could definitely take care of himself.

"What exactly is going to happen if I don't?" Jacob asked with a sarcastic look on his face.

"I'll beat the living shit out of you! What the mother fucking hell did you do to her?!" I heard him swear back with pure power. Edward made his way to me and looked desperately into my eyes. But I couldn't respond. I was just too frightened of what Jacob could do to me. Both physically _and_ emotionally…

Jacob actually took a couple steps closer to where I sat. Before I could register what had happened, Edward was in front of Jacob with a pure hatred radiating off of him. He pointed a finger at Jacob's chest and stated quietly in voice that promised hell and fire, "Turn around, and get the HELL out of this house. NOW."

With a sneer at Edward and a flicker of desperate eyes towards me, Jacob turned on his heel and left.

"And don't think about coming back. Because I'll kick your ass," I heard Edward call out.

I heard the front door slam louder than it should have and Edward was right before me.

I pulled myself out of my memory and quickly tried to calm myself against Edward's chest. It was late morning, I think and I probably had a billion things to do.

"Bella…are you alright?" Edward asked hesitantly.

I nodded my head slowly and tried to get out of bed.

"Whoa there, missy. Are you sure? You were…well, a mess last night" he said. I could tell he was trying not to be too blunt, but there weren't many ways to phrase that thought sweetly.

"I know," I said, hanging my head. "I'm so sorry for scaring. My brain just…shut down. Kind of like when you go into shock and can no longer feel anything. My mind just didn't want to handle it, so it stopped. And oh dear, Edward, I can't believe I caused us to miss our date last night!" I had finally remembered that we had plans then. And I felt awful.

"Bella, please don't fret about that. Really, it's no big deal. I'm just thankful you seem to be back to normal…" His voice and eyes were still fully laced with concern.

"Alright, well I can't sit around this house and mope all day. I did that for weeks and I nearly went crazy. Shall we go out and do something?"

"Sure, Bella. Anything for you," he responded sweetly.

Yeah if he didn't stop that, I would be a melted puddle of goo by the end of the day. "I'm going to take a shower and get ready. Would you like to make some breakfast?"

"Yeah, no problem."

I trotted off to the bathroom and quickly hopped into a very hot shower. As I washed, I did a lot of thinking about what we could do today. I was at a loss. I didn't want to just go to a movie. It was beautiful today and we needed to do something that went with the weather.

Then it hit me. The zoo! It was perfect! I loved animals, the weather was great, and we could even invite everyone else along! I began to feel very excited about this.

I got out of the shower, dried, and dressed. Then I started working on my hair and make-up, still remembering the tips Ali and Rose would give me all the time.

Today was going to be great, I just had a feeling.

EPOV

I walked downstairs and turned into Bella's gorgeous kitchen. It wasn't huge but it was just perfect for Bella. She had it decorated ornately with beautiful paintings hanging all around, most with food as the subject.

I poked around until I found the necessities to make omelets, bacon, and toast. It was already near noon, but I figured it could serve more as a brunch. As I was cooking, I dialed Emmett and Jasper's apartment number.

"Buddy the elf, what's your favorite color?" I heard Emmett say boisterously on the other end.

"Oh my goodness Emmett, you have to be the biggest nerd on the entire planet, I swear."

"You didn't answer the question Eddie."

"Blue. And don't call me Eddie!"

"Whatever…so what do you w-…HEY! What the hell happened last night?! I thought you said you'd tell us!"

"I said I would tell you _later_. And _later_ is _now_. Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Emmett replied sarcastically. "Spill, Edward. What the hell did you do to our Bella."

"_I _didn't do anything! That rat Jacob showed up and nearly crushed Bella to smithereens, emotionally."

"Wait, what?! That asshole actually came back? Jasper!" I heard him yell away from the phone. "Let's go teach Jacob a lesson."

"Why?" I heard Jasper ask as he came closer to the phone.

"Because he went to Bella's house yesterday and nearly sent her over the edge again!" Emmett spat in disgust.

"Emmett," I tried to calm him down. "Relax. I told him to not bother showing his face around here anymore. Hopefully he'll get the picture."

"Hmph," Emmett grunted, unconvinced.

"But anyway," I started. "I want to reschedule the plans for tonight. Can you guys still help me out?"

"Sure thing buddy," Emmett replied.

"Alright. I'm sure we'll see you later. Bella wants to go out today with everyone so I'll tell you then. Talk to you later!"

"Bye," they both replied.

Yes, if I had my way, tonight would be the night. I just had a feeling.

BPOV

"They're all on their way here!" I called to Edward in the kitchen. We had finished eating and getting ready for the day and he was packing up some water bottles for all of us in a bag.

I padded my way into the kitchen and saw his gorgeous form bent over digging in a cabinet below the sink for something.

"What on earth are you looking for under there?" I asked, still admiring his backside from my view by the island.

"Another water bottle. You said you had six, but I can only find five…"

"That would be because you're looking in entirely the wrong spot. Think high."

"What??"

"Think high, Edward."

He looked up at the ceiling. I rolled my eyes and responded, "Not _that_ high…"

He smirked and looked above my refrigerator. "Aha," he said in amazement.

I giggled and then there was a booming knock at the door.

Edward rolled his eyes and we both said, "Emmett."

"It's open!" I yelled. They all filed in looking excited.

"Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" Emmett cheered as he came forward to haul me into his huge bear arms and spin me in circles. "Glad you're doing well, Belly!" As he put me down, I made my way to Jazz and gave him a warm hug. I knew we'd probably talk about last night sometime soon. I knew Edward had told him and Jasper expected (with good reason) that I would come forward to confide in him soon.

"Wow, Bella!" Alice exclaimed. "You're make-up looks pretty! And it's perfect for a warm day at the zoo." I wasn't exactly sure what she meant by that, but I went with it and smiled.

"You're hair is cute, too," said Rose, admiring the twisted knot of hair at the back of my head.

"Okay, enough jabbering, let's hit the zoo!" I said with excitement.

When we had entered the zoo, we all started shouting out the exhibits we wanted to see all at once. It was enough to give anyone a headache.

"DOLPHINS!" Alice exclaimed first.

"Oh c'mon, Ali! Could you get anymore girly! It's the apes all the way!" Emmett complained.

"You're both idiots. The birds are the most amazing! Let's go there first!" Rosalie interjected.

"You know, I'm rather partial to the giraffes," Jasper said quietly, though everyone had certainly heard him.

"QUIET!" I yelled, finally unable to stand the bickering. However, my voice was not the only that shouted. Edward looked exasperated as he caught my eye. I couldn't help but giggle a little at the coincidence.

"Wow, you guys are just creepy," Rosalie stated.

I rolled my eyes. "Rosalie, shush. You all are being ridiculous. If you didn't realize, we have most of the day ahead of us. So we'll just go around the park and see it all." Then I took initiative and led the way towards a brilliant path lined with tall trees and a coble stone walk way.

Okay guys! So did you like it? Hate it? Want to throw stones at me? lol pleeeease review! that's all I ask! Thank you bunches! And I have the plot for the story lined out. I just have to write it! :P press the button! i know you want to!


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